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What is an EHCP Plan?

What is an Education, Health and Care plan?

An education, health and care plan (EHCP or EHC plan) describes your child's special educational needs and the help they will receive to meet those needs and includes any health and care needs they may also require.  EHC plans have replaced Statements of Special Educational Need since the new Care Act 2014 became law. 

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The plans can cover children and young people from birth up until the age of 25.  

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Who needs an EHC plan?

Children and young people who have a special educational need or disability that cannot be met by support that is usually available at school or college will require an EHC plan - many will have SEN support given to them by schools and colleges without the need for an EHC plan.

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However, some children and young people may not make expected progress and the local authority should then carry out an EHC needs assessment.  You or your child's school can ask the local authority to make an EHC needs assessment and when completed they must decide whether to issue an EHC plan.
 

The SEND Code of Practice says:

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"In considering whether an EHC needs assessment is necessary, the local authority should consider whether there is evidence that despite the early years provider, school or post-16 institution having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, the child or young person has not made expected progress. (9.14).  See the Telford and Wrekin Local Offer for more information."

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What does the SEND Code of Practice say an

EHC plan should include?

EHC Plans should:

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  • Describe what the child or young people can do

  • Be clear, concise, understandable and accessible

  • Be based on decisions made openly, with parents, children and young people

  • Consider how best to achieve the outcomes for the child or young person and must take into account the evidence from the EHC needs assessments

  • Specify clear outcomes

  • Consider alternative ways of providing support if a parent or young person wishes it.  This could include having a Personal Budget

  • Show how education, health and care provision will be co-ordinated

  • Be forward looking - for example, anticipating, planning and commissioning for important transition points in a child or young person's life

  • Describe how informal support as well as formal support from statutory agencies can help in achieving agreed outcomes

  • Have a review date

Layout of the EHC plan

Every EHC plan must include at least 12 sections but each local authority can decide how to set these out.

 

Telford and Wrekin set out their sections as shown below..

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  A.   The views, interests and aspirations of you and your child or the young person

  B.   Your child's or young person's special educational needs

  C.   Health needs related to their SEN or to a disability

  D.   Social care needs related to their SEN or to a disability

  E.   Planned outcomes for your child or the young person

  F.   Special educational provision.  Provision must be specified for each and every need shown in section B.

  G.  Any health provision required that is related to their SEN or to a disability

  H.  1.  Any social care provision that must be made for your child or young person under 18

        2. Any other social care provision required that is related to their SEN or to a disability

  I.   The name and type of school, maintained nursery school, post-16 institution or other institution to be attended

  J.  Details of how any personal budget will support particular outcomes and the provision it will be used for

  K. The advice and information gathered during the EHC needs assessment

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what makes a good ehc plan

A good EHC Plan should be easy to read and be understood clearly by everyone involved, including child, young person, parent, and SEN worker.  It should be clear about the SEN and/or disability and should contain a clear set of outcomes, provision to improve learning outcomes and opportunities and be built on the activities and resources already in place for the child and.or young person.

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Click HERE to view our Education, Health & Care Plan Fact sheet

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